Alkaline electrochemical cells, commonly known as “batteries,” are used to power a wide variety of devices used in everyday life. For example, devices such as radios, toys, cameras, flashlights, and hearing aids all ordinarily rely on one or more electrochemical cells to operate. These cells produce electricity by electrochemically coupling, within the cell, a reactive gelled metallic anode, most commonly a zinc-containing gelled anode, to a cathode through a suitable electrolyte, such as a potassium hydroxide solution.
High rate discharge performance for cells in devices is partly dependent on the availability of sufficient anode reaction sites in the vicinity of the anode-cathode interface. This can be accomplished by increasing the level of fine particles in the anode; however, increasing the level of fines has a limit to improving performance because the discharge product around the fine particles disrupts particle-to-particle contact and also tends to suppress ion diffusion. Ion diffusion can be an essential step to sustain fast anode-cathode reactions demanded by high drain rates.
In view of the foregoing, the need exists for an anode that improves the discharge rate capability of alkaline cells.